Pianos and Hospitals (an AU)
by Aunty Lala
Summary: It's 5pm on a Friday night and Ianto Jones, Hospital Admin, is dragged to a bar by friend and co-worker Dr Owen Harper. Meeting the owner formerly of the RAF leads to a few taken chances for more than just Ianto. This is AU and not part of anything existing and I own nothing.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Meeting John Barrowman at Armageddon yesterday (in Auckland) and getting one of my Torchwood books signed left me with a need to write something. This is not part of anything else and I didn't want to get lost in any of my works in progress so this is what happened.

I plan to write two chapters depending on the muse (although I've said that before and hello 50K word count later...) but I don't see this blowing out into anything but a fun little world to dip into. Lala

Ianto Jones, Hospital Administrator, Cardiff Royal Infirmary. If he was going to be defined by what he did at least it was something his mother was proud of. He'd applied for the job on a lark and been surprised when not only was he good at it, but he actually enjoyed the paperwork his position furnished. The fact it paid better than working for a coffee shop and gave him an excuse to move back from London after losing his girlfriend was a bonus. He had a flat in walking distance to work and to the surprise of everyone, had befriended the caustic head of emergency medicine. Doctor Owen Harper. They had bonded over lost loves and a shared joy of losing themselves in a pint and curry at the end of the working week. Which for two men who worked for a hospital, was sometimes on a Friday, and sometimes it was a Tuesday two weeks later. So it was no surprise when the door of his office was thrown open and someone was tossing his coat at him.

'Come on, that rubbish can wait for another day. I've finally got a full roster on thanks to that deal you swung to get me two more doctors so I'm calling it a day. And I want to take you out for a thank you pint.' He made a point of checking his watch even though the impeccably dressed younger man looking up at him always knew the time. It was one of his freaky super powers that they didn't talk about. 'It's actually five pm on a Friday and I have been looking online and found something called happy hour. It is rumored to occur at the end of the working week.' He snapped his fingers. 'Come on, look lively Jones. There are hot birds and cold beers waiting for us. Or boys if you still aren't sure what you feel like today.'

Setting his pen down Ianto could understand the appeal of what Owen was suggesting. 'Just don't expect me to call you Doctor Harper.' Chair back and pushed neatly in he collected his keys, phone and wallet before pulling the coat on while Owen tapped his feet like the impatient man-child he was.

'I did go to medical school.'

'Ah ha.'

Owen pouted for a moment longer before shrugging as he held the door for his friend. 'Whatever Jones. Come on, there's a new place opened on the Plass I want to check out. It's called Torchwood.'

'The home of this mythical happy hour?'

'Maybe, if you play your cards right. Couple of the nurses where talking about it in the cafeteria to Tosh. Some Yank set the place up like a forties jazz bar or something. Live music, hot birds and cold beer.'

'The Owen Harper three.'

'Don't hate me because the ladies love me.'

Ianto snorted. 'I'm not even sure that last one you went home with was even a lady.' He caught the grin on his friends face. 'I'm not even going to ask.'

'Too late because she was all woman and no lady.'

Ianto rolled his eyes.

Stepping though the doors of Torchwood was like moving back in time. Most of the patrons were average Cardiff office workers in their every day Friday clothes but the staff were all dressed like they were fresh out of a world war two dance. The two men behind the bar wearing forties style trousers with braces and had the sleeves of their white shirts rolled to the elbow. The woman singing looked like a forties pin up girl. Red dress and curled hair with red lips as she shared her tale of a lost lover who never came home from the war. And the man playing the piano had a vintage blue grey RAF great coat slung over the piano stool next to him. His perfect teeth smiling as he accompanied her.

Owen looked around and gave a low whistle of appreciation. 'Even I'd go home with him.'

Ianto ignored his friend as he headed for the bar, eyes lighting up as he recognized the petite Japanese woman turning towards him.

'I wasn't sure he'd pry you out of your office. I owe him a pint now.'

A kiss brushed an offered cheek. 'Thank you Toshiko, but contrary to popular belief, I don't actually live under my desk.'

She laughed as she signaled for fresh drinks. 'If anyone was going to have a secret bunker under their office desk you would be my first pick.' She looked from him to Owen and addressed the barman asking for a pint of bitter and two dirty martinis. 'The cocktail list is brilliant and Andy here makes a martini that would make olives cry.'

The blonde behind the bar blushed under her praise.

Owen picked his pint up and winked at the barman before taking an appreciative drink.

'Should I be worried Toshiko?' Ianto asked as he reached for the martini placed before him.

'Of course not Ianto.'

He nodded. 'You say no but your smile says yes.'

Her laugh was cut short by an American voice filling the space between them.

'And here I thought I already knew all the beautiful people here in Cardiff.'

Owen spun around, leaning back on the bar as he looked from his two friends to the man now standing with them.

'I'm Captain Jack Harkness, proprietor and currently filling in as the piano player here at Torchwood.'

'I'm Doctor Owen Harper and these are my work mates, Doctor Toshiko Sato and our brilliant Ianto Jones. Who will tell you he's just an administrator but he's actually an evil genius mastermind without whom we would all be lost.'

'Really?' Jack flashed a questioning grin at the trio before him.

Tosh nodded. 'Doomed, absolutely. Then we'd have to deal with the hospital board and I'd never get any research done to qualify for the grants I need in the first place.'

'So what do you both specialize in?'

'I'm the head of emergency medicine, Doctor Sato is what's called a bio-engineer but I think she made that up herself and is actual a mad scientist building robots in the basement.'

Tosh laughed. 'Hardly, I have several degrees to support what I do. Which is looking for a way to use technology to help patients with physical trauma and nerve damage live normal lives again.'

'And you?'

Ianto shook his head. 'I just file paperwork and answer the phone. What I do isn't important and I'm not the one helping people like the doctors and nurses.'

'No, but you free us up to do that and help us do our jobs better, you know this Ianto.' Tosh frowned at her friend. 'We've had this conversation before.'

On the other side of him Owen nodded. 'You know how this argument goes Jones, she'll bring up the London next.'

'So the three of you have been friends for a while then.' Jack observed with a soft laugh to hide his envy, along with a healthy appreciation for the stunning looking young man in his suit.

Moving the three to a booth he slid in next to Ianto and grinned when the younger man did not slide further away. Keeping instead the narrowest distance between their thighs without them actually touching.

'Why a forties themed bar?' Owen threw his arm around Tosh and was secretly pleased at how close she was sitting to him. They had been flirting back and forwards for some time now but between them they were usually either interrupted or one of them would chicken out.

Jack shrugged. 'I love the magic of the time, as terrifying as it was they danced and fell in love between bombs dropping on the world around them. My gran met my grandfather at a dance, he was an American pilot stationed with the RAF. I spent my summers with them and it's why I joined the RAF myself. They would both tell me stories about meeting up at the dances, never knowing if they would see each other again. I guess I fell a little in love with it all and when I left the RAF this happened.'

'My grandfather worked for Bletchley Park during the war. When he wasn't breaking codes he was kept in supervised quarters in case he was a double agent for a Japan he left when he was a little boy.'

'Blimmy Tosh, I didn't know that.' Owen leaned back a little to look at her with a new level of awe. 'It does explain why you are so bloody good with numbers though.'

She shrugged dismissively. 'We don't exactly get a chance to talk about this sort of thing when stealing Ianto's coffee.'

'I guess not. Is the coffee kiosk still pissed you wont share your secret blend?' He looked across the table at his friend who shook his head.

'I will take my secrets to the grave.'

'Christ, I hope you have written it all down in case you end up in a coma otherwise we'll have to drink the crap in the cafe at work. We can't save you if we run out of the good stuff.'

Ianto nodded. 'My sister has the key to the safe deposit box where I keep a copy of my coffee file.'

'Thank bloody christ for that Ianto, you had me worried for a minute there.'

Jack wasn't sure if he should laugh at the joke or if this was serious and his expression must have reflected that when he saw Tosh shake her head.

'The scary part is, they are being quite serious. Ianto isn't just a life saver when it comes to keeping the hospital itself running.'

He shrugged. 'I would not have thought it was so difficult but apparently it is.'

'You didn't see what he was like the week you had holidays.' She indicate Owen as she reached for her martini glass.

'Yeah alright, I thought we weren't going to mention that. We don't know this bloke well enough to go telling him all our secrets.'

'If it hadn't been for the time difference getting a phone call on my holiday at three am Cardiff time would have been most unpleasant.'

'I am never going to live that down if you don't stop reminding him Toshiko.' Owen shook his head. 'And I've had my limit so I can't make you buy me another pint to make it up to me since I'm on call tomorrow.'

She smiled, feeling a little braver than she had ever before. 'Perhaps I could make you a late supper instead. Back at mine?'

His smile matched hers. 'Yeah go on.' He rose to his feet and helped her stand, looking over his shoulder and Jack and Ianto. 'You kids will have to amuse yourselves.'

Turning to Jack he smiled. 'Oh I think we can work something out. Stay safe kids.'

Owen snorted. 'We're older than he is.'

'Shut up and lets go before I change my mind and all you get is a serve of soggy chips and a kebab from the shop on the corner.' She groused with a smile and a wave before letting him lead her out to find a cab back to her place.

Owen's voice drifting back to them about food poisoning as Jack reached for Ianto's hand, his smile soft and eyes filled with promise. 'Now the kids are gone, what ever am I going to do with you, Mr Jones.'

'I was rather hoping, Captain Harkness, that you might have an idea or two of your own.'

'Oh I do but given we've only just met I wasn't sure I should press my intent or if we were going to leave it at a gentlemanly good night and hopefully swap numbers.'

Ianto dropped his voice to a purr. 'I just dress like a gentleman, once the suit comes off.' He licked his lips and dropped his gaze to Jack's crotch and back up to his blue eyes and shrugged.

Jack was about to lean in when a cough pulled his focus back to the bar around them. Leaning back he sighed softly and nodded to his barman.

'Andy?'

'Sorry Jack but Billie has finished her break and is looking for her piano player and it's time for Claude to have his break.'

'And we're getting busy.' Jack pinched his nose for a moment before nodding. 'I'll be right over.' He waited for Andy to move away before turning his thwarted attention back to the hot Welshman next to him.

'If only you knew someone who could play the piano.' Ianto leaned back with a smirk and pretended to examine his long, piano players hands. 'But where might you find such a paragon who would work for, say, breakfast?'

'Are you implying that accommodations for the evening and a fry up in the morning might encourage such a paragon into volunteering for the job?'

'Depends.'

'On?'

'Can you swing a full English in the morning or not?'

Jack threw his head back and laughed. 'I think I can do something like that.'

'Good. Because I am not playing the piano for a cup of tea and some toast.'

Jack moved to stand and held a hand out to Ianto. 'Oh I can promise you more than that Mr Jones. Will you twinkle my ivories for me until we can lock the world out for the night?'

'Is that what the kids are calling it these days.'

Jack was flabbergasted as Ianto winked before heading to the piano and the pouting singer. An introduction was given and a number of pages of sheet music removed from the piano stool before Billie resumed her set. The soft tones of the Vera Lynn classic filled the bar and a nightingale sang while Jack, jaw no longer dropped, moved behind the bar to serve his customers. Each time he would look up and catch Ianto's eye, the smile he got suggested he was more than worth the wait. And Jack found himself agreeing with that sentiment once the doors were finally locked for the night and they were free to move to the flat upstairs. Totally worth the effort of cooking a full English breakfast for the Welshman and his very talented hands.


	2. Chapter 2

Locking the door behind the last patron Jack turned to Ianto. 'You know, if the hospital thing doesn't work out for you I could always put you on the payroll.'

Playing a more modern piece of music he smiled. 'Paperwork or piano player, hmm. You do make it hard.'

'God I hope so.'

Ianto laughed. 'Yeap.' Popping the p he stopped playing and closed the piano lid. 'While I don't see me quitting any time soon, I could be persuaded to drop by on occasion.' He swung his right leg over the piano stool so he was straddling it while facing Jack. 'For the right incentive.'

Crossing the room in long strides Jack slid onto the piano stool facing Ianto. 'I think I can come up with something.' He crashed his lips onto the younger man's and let four hours of frustrated flirting explode as they kissed.

Andy picked his jacket up and headed out into the bar to farewell his boss and decided Jack wasn't going to notice so he ducked out the back door. Making sure to snick the lock so it closed behind him. He shook his head as he climbed into his car and headed for home wondering if his house-mate was at theirs or the new girlfriend's place. Rhys was a good mate but he had the worst taste in women.

Breaking apart the two men panted as Jack looked around. 'I'll check the door is locked and we should continue this upstairs I think.'

'Oh yeah. Might be an idea. Just, make sure you grab your coat.'

'We wont be outside long enough to get cold.'

Ianto shook his head. 'That has nothing to do with it.' He leaned on the piano with a smile. 'I rather find I like the coat.'

'Oh.' Jack's grin grew a little wider. 'Really.'

'Yeap.'

'Mr Jones, aren't you a saucy minx. I just need to do a final sweep and we are done for the night.'

'Hmm, I rather think that we are just getting started myself.'

'Bloody hell, we wont make it upstairs if you keep saying things like that Ianto.'

'I guess you should ask yourself Jack.' He pulled his own coat on, smile innocent. 'Which one of us will be screaming out the other's name first.'

Jack had to take a moment to adjust himself before catching Ianto's eye. 'Maybe you should check the loos are empty and we can get out of here faster.'

'Of course, Sir.' He brushed invisible lint from his lapels and began humming one of the tunes he had played earlier as he moved across the room. He wasn't entirely sure where this playful confidence was coming from but was loving the reaction he was getting as he put a little bit of emphasis on the wiggle in his hips. He knew he'd hit his intended target when Jack groaned.

Locking the safe and his office Jack found Ianto and took him by the hand. 'Come on, upstairs with you.' Heading out the back door and setting the alarm as he locked up he moved around the to the door to his upstairs flat. Pulling Ianto to him as soon as the door was locked behind him Jack decided to start with kissing and unwrap his unexpected gift.

He groaned. 'Upstairs before I have you here and I'm not as young as I was last time I got shagged on a flight of stairs.'

'Way to sell the coming attractions there Jack.' Ianto laughed as he let himself be led up the stairs.

'I wouldn't worry about that.' He winked as he waved at the rooms he was dragging the Welshman though. 'Guided tour, reception room, bathroom, kitchen's there if you want a glass of water. Sitting room, spare room slash storage and this is my bedroom.'

The room was dominated by a large four poster bed, red velvet curtains were tied back and it looked inviting with the matching red comforter. 'How did you know red was my colour.' Ianto laughed as he began undressing. 'Don't forget your coat, Captain.' He turned to find Jack standing there in his socks and his coat and he suspected not much else. 'That works.' Toeing his own shoes and socks off Ianto stood there in his boxers, shirt and tie. Each step Jack took towards him revealed just how little the man was indeed wearing under the coat.

'Take the shirt off but leave the tie.' He commanded as he backed Ianto onto the bed. 'It's a lovely shade of red and it would be a shame to ignore how good you do indeed look in red.'

Ianto grinned as he complied. 'I don't think that will be a problem.' Letting his shirt fall to the floor he propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Jack, having removed his socks, was climbing up his body confirming Ianto's suspicion that he was wearing the coat and a smile and nothing else.

Sunlight dared peek around the curtains as Jack flopped back with a satisfied grin. 'Mr Jones, you do not disappoint.'

'Thank you, now I believe I was promised a full English breakfast.'

'Ah.' Jack rolled onto his side and faced Ianto. 'About that.'

'I also believe I made myself quite clear, about that.' He punctuated his comment with a raised eyebrow.

'I haven't been organised enough to get a proper shop in but I should be able to work some sort of culinary magic.'

'I see.' Ianto brushed a kiss on the end of Jack's nose. 'In that case, that's all you are getting until I get my breakfast although it is practically lunch time.'

Jack rolled onto his back and laughed before swinging out of bed. 'Oh Mr Jones, what am I going to do with you.' He pulled his boxers on and reached for his robe as he watched Ianto pause in the bedroom door.

'I found you to be quite up to the task of figuring that out last night and this morning. I have every confidence in your abilities to work that out to our mutual satisfaction. Sir.'

Jack threw him a tshirt to go with his boxers and grinned as he padded past. 'I'm confident I can do us bacon and eggs and I should have enough bread left for toast but I'm afraid I only have instant coffee.'

'Do you have tea?'

'Is instant coffee really that bad?'

'Given you have not tasted my coffee I am willing to over look the fact you said that.'

Throwing back his head Jack barked out a laugh that curled Ianto's toes.

Ianto smiled to himself as he checked the requisition forms on his desk, not even losing the smile as Owen slapped his form on the pile before making a beeline to the coffee pot.

Throwing himself into a waiting chair Owen sighed. 'I guess that answers my question.'

Looking up a brief frown flashed across Ianto's eyes. 'Did you say something?'

'I asked if you had a good weekend after Tosh and I left but I put that together with the fact you are looking at req forms and still smiling so wasn't sure why I bothered asking in the first place.'

Putting his pen down Ianto brought his hands together and gave a polite smile. 'Whatever do you mean?'

'Well, Monday mornings you are not usually a ray of sunshine when dealing with the requests for, ah, all and sundry and a kitchen sink, I believe is your usual turn of phrase.'

'I should thank you for not trying to say that with a Welsh accent but I don't want to encourage you.'

'That's better, there's my snarky little friend.' Owen leaned back and grinned.

A large American voice boomed into the room. 'Oh there's nothing little -.'

And was promptly cut off at a look from Ianto as Jack and Tosh entered his sanctuary.

'Hello Ianto, I found Jack wondering the corridors and he said he was meeting you for lunch?'

'Oh yes thank you, I must have lost track of the time.'

Owen turned to catch Tosh's eyes and they both gasped. Ianto Jones never lost track of anything.

He blushed and glared at the two doctors. 'Don't you both have things to be doing? Important things that I authorise your wages for.'

'Steady on Jones.' Owen rose to his feet as his pager went off. 'Well, that's me anyway. Catch you kids later.' He looked at Tosh who nodded with a blush of her own.

Ianto raised an eyebrow as he rose to his feet and towards the coffee station in pride of place in his office. 'Toshiko, I thank you for escorting Jack in.' He handed her a cup of coffee and all but shooed her out the door. Taking the cup with a shrug and a smile she melted into her coffee and headed back to her lab.

Sipping the coffee Ianto handed him Jack didn't even bother to bite back his moan of ecstasy.

'Bugger me but that's good.'

With a dismissive shrug Ianto flashed a quick smile. 'I believe that isn't the first time you've said that to me.'

'Yeah well I meant it then too but this is bloody amazing except now you will have to move in with me so I can have coffee every day.'

Ianto perched on the edge of his desk and laughed. 'That would give them something to gossip about I suppose.'

Flashing his best grin Jack set the now empty coffee cup on Ianto's desk and stalked towards the Welshman. 'That wasn't a no.' Stepping into Ianto's space he leaned in and brought their lips together. 'I'll take what I can get.'

Pulling apart when the need to breathe was no loner able to be ignored Ianto shook his head. 'That is at least a conversation for the third date, Sir.'

Jack shivered. 'You have the most sexy accent I have ever heard, it's somewhat distracting.'

'I believe it's the vowels.'

'It's just as well you don't work for me, we'd never get any work done.'

'That'd be harassment.'

Jack started to shrug and nodded instead. 'More than likely.'

'I have a stop watch.'

He raised an eyebrow at the Welshman. 'Oh yes?'

'Yeap. Lots of things you can do with a stop watch.' He leaned back slightly and gave Jack a wicked little grin. 'I'd have to set you time limits for the harassing if I worked for you. Or we'd never get anything done other than each other.'

'You know.' Jack drawled with a thoughtful tone. 'If we pooled our resources and weren't too extravagant I reckon we could both quit our jobs and just spend the next forty years finding that out.' He stepped back with a soft laugh. 'But this isn't the third date.'

Ianto sighed. 'No, it isn't, and if I don't get back to work I wont be bringing much of anything to the party when we do get to the third date because I'll be out of a job.'

'I am still looking for a decent piano player.'

'Ah but Jack.' Ianto smiled. 'Just because I'm wearing clothes doesn't make me decent.'


End file.
